


Not Always What They Seem

by heartsdesire456



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek is a Softie, Falling In Love, Lies, M/M, Undercover As Prostitute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2014-08-25
Packaged: 2018-02-14 14:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2195124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsdesire456/pseuds/heartsdesire456
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Got a new assignment for you, Parrish,” Sheriff Stilinski said, then dropped a bag of what appeared to be clothes on his desk. “I apologize a head of time.”</i>
</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Jordan frowned, looking in the bag. He pulled out the first article of clothing and then stopped. “You can’t be serious,” he said flatly but the Sheriff chuckled and nodded towards the locker room. </i></p><p> </p><p>  <i>“Suit up, Son.”</i></p><p> </p><p>When Jordan got saddled with an undercover assignment to catch a possible serial killer, he didn't know what to expect, but it definitely wasn't befriending notorious possible-criminal, Derek Hale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Always What They Seem

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic about FOREVER AND A HALF ago and recently I've had bad writers block, but I went back to this fic and last night my writers block broke and I FINISHED IT! YAY!
> 
> First thing I've finished that wasn't a quick one-shot in a full month!
> 
> EDIT: I forgot to add a little disclaimer, but btw, this fic kinda ignores werewolf senses some cause Derek would smell the gunpowder on Parrish and hear his lies BUT JUST GO WITH IT.

“Got a new assignment for you, Parrish,” Sheriff Stilinski said, then dropped a bag of what appeared to be clothes on his desk. “I apologize a head of time.”

Jordan frowned, looking in the bag. He pulled out the first article of clothing and then stopped. “You can’t be serious,” he said flatly but the Sheriff chuckled and nodded towards the locker room. 

“Suit up, Son.”

When Jordan came out of the locker room and the whole department was standing there waiting, he sighed heavily over the sound of their laughter. “This is going to suck,” he sighed, accepting the file John held out to him, clearly the only one with much sympathy for him. “There better be a damn good reason for this,” he grumbled and John chuckled.

“Trust me, if I had another way, I’d take it.” He stood up and held up his hands. “Alright, alright, you had your fun,” he said, waving the others back to their respective desks. “Come on, back to work, nothing to see here-“

“Except Parrish’s tight little tushy,” one of the women from the front desk said, all of them laughing as they headed back up front.

Parrish rolled his eyes and opened the file, wincing at how difficult it was to bend at the hip since the short denim shorts he was wearing were so tight. He was already getting cold sitting at his desk between the short shorts and the shirt that, while long sleeved, was skin tight burgundy mesh. He really hated to imagine what he’d find when he opened the folder on his desk.

He only had to read the first few lines before his worst fears were realized. “Ah crap, I _am_ going under cover as a hooker, aren’t I?” he asked, and Sheriff Stilinski nodded. He continued to read and his brow furrowed. “Three?” he asked, looking up. “Three teenage boys-“

John nodded. “Three boys known to have been soliciting before they were found strangled to death dumped off on the side of empty streets.” He flipped to show Jordan a photo of a boy that looked no more than seventeen standing under a street light. “That’s Jonathan Reynolds. His friend Casey took this picture to test out his new phone’s camera not thirty minutes before a ‘customer’ picked Jonathan up and the next morning a garbage truck found him dead beside a dumpster, naked and with bruises around his throat.”

“Jesus. He looks so young-“

“He was sixteen,” John confirmed solemnly. 

Jordan frowned. “What we he doing soliciting?” he asked and John sighed heavily.

“Runaways. It happens more than you would think. Kids get kicked out or run away and before long they get too hungry to keep trying to beg and steal, so they start selling the only thing they have to sell,” he said solemnly. “Usually it’s girls, not boys, but if you know where to hang around, there are men and women looking for male prostitutes out there, too.” He nodded at the file. “This was the first boy. There’s two more.” He turned the page. “Ricky Collins, seventeen,” he said, and this time it was a photo of the body laid out at the morgue. “And Kyle Stevens,” he finished, turning to another one. “Seventeen as well.”

Jordan groaned. “Shit. So we have a pervert that gets off on picking up kids and then strangling them to death.”

John nodded. “Stevens and Reynolds had anal trauma, but there’s no way to be sure about what that means. Can’t tell if they were raped or just doing their ‘job’, so all we know is that whoever this person is, we’re assuming it’s a man, but there are no rules to say a woman isn’t picking them up and strangling them. Prostitutes will go with whoever will pay them and they were all strangled with something like a cord so we can’t make a judgment based on strangulation marks.”

Jordan nodded. “But going by Stevens and Reynolds we’re assuming a man unless something tells us otherwise.”

“Right,” John agreed. 

Jordan sat back. “Okay, what am I doing? I get it, I look young, but this isn’t a ‘bust some jokers for soliciting’ sting.”

John stood up and walked around the desk to show him something in the file he’d laid down. “Most of them are getting picked up within a three block radius of a these abandoned warehouses. There are always underground parties in those warehouses, we bust up a few every once in a while, but lately we haven’t had the manpower. Too many serious crimes to worry about some trespassing and underage drinking.” He looked over. “Mayfield, you have the map?” he asked, and the deputy next to them rolled his chair across the gap and held something out to him.

“Here is where we want you,” Mayfield said, pointing to a map. “Walk up and down this block, look all underage and doable,” he suggested and John cringed.

“Can we not?” he asked, groaning. “I have a seventeen year old kid for God’s sake,” he gritted out. 

Jordan nodded. “What’re we looking for? How close do I have to get?”

John nodded to the map. “It’s gonna be close,” he admitted reluctantly. “You’ll be on audio, you’ll have your earpiece in the whole time, and there’s a GPS tracker in the grommet on your belt,” he explained. “We’re gonna pick up anybody that starts talking money with you just because we can’t not pick up somebody soliciting sex from someone who they presume is a minor, but we’ll get them somewhere else to not blow your cover. What we need is for you to give us a heads up on anybody that seems like they might be our guy. It’s a long shot, it’s a serious long shot, but we can’t get suspects lining up without getting a look at the guys that pick up teen boys.”

Jordan looked up. “I’m going to have to get in the car with them, aren’t I?” he asked, and John nodded.

“Yeah, sorry. But you’re safe. You will never be more than a minute away from backup. We have an unmarked car to tail anybody you get in the car with,” John reassured. “And if all else fails, you get to carry pepper spray in your boot. That’s not out of the ordinary for a prostitute.”

Jordan nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

John raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? ‘yeah okay’? I’m asking you to pretend to be a seventeen year old hooker and actually get in the car with people, of which one of these men is probably planning to strangle you to death and all of them definitely expect they’re about to have sex with an underage kid.”

Jordan gave him a serious look. “Somebody has to do something. Three kids are dead. I’m the only one that looks ridiculously young, so I get it. I’ve got to do it.”

John smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you moved here,” he said, then gestured at Jordan’s hair. “Should probably mess up the neat hair if you’re playing a teenager though. God knows my kid seems to have forgot to buy a comb when he grew his hair out,” he joked and Jordan nodded, running his fingers through his hair to mess it up some while the sheriff called them all together to give the full rundown of the plan in his office.

~

It was cold.

“Jesus Christ, it’s really fucking cold,” Mayfield said over the open comms, and Jordan rolled his eyes and huffed.

“You’re cold? You’re sitting in a car. I’m standing out here with daisy dukes and a mesh shirt. Suck it up,” he muttered and he heard the Sheriff laughing with Mayfield. “I hate you both so much right now, Sir, just saying.”

“I know, I’m sorry about that-“

Parrish was distracted by movement and he turned to see a man coming from around the corner, heading towards the SUV parked on Parrish’s block. “Movement,” he muttered and the others grew silent. He watched the guy approaching and took a deep breath before fixing the smirk he’d been practicing on his face and strutting over, swaying his hips. It was the first person of the night that didn’t drive by without even giving a second look his way as he stood under the street lamp. He winked at the man as he got closer, and the guy ignored him at first, unlocking his car, only to stop and do a double take when Jordan stopped under the street lamp. Jordan leaned against the pole, cocking a hip. “See something you like?” he asked, batting his eyelashes playfully.

The man raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing.” 

Jordan was almost impressed by how inflectionless the question was, making it sound more like a statement than a question. “Wellll, that depends on the price,” Jordan said, pressing his back to the pole, extending his neck some. “You looking for some action?”

The man’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched some. “How old are you?” he asked, and Jordan smirked.

“However old you want me to be,” he purred and the guy groaned, leaned against the open door and hesitated, only to curse. 

“Get in the car,” he said, and Jordan’s throat tightened some, his heart racing as he realized this was his first test. His first time getting in the car with a man who might have strangled three boys.

Jordan didn’t let this show as he skipped over and pulled open the passenger door, sliding into the car. He made a show of moaning when the other man started up the truck. “Mmm, warm.” He arched in the seat a bit more provocatively than was necessary. “I normally wouldn’t get in before we talked price, but I’m betting you won’t have a problem matching my price,” he said, gesturing to the clearly not very old car as they pulled away from the curb “So, what do you want?” he asked and the other man grumbled slightly.

“How old are you?” he asked again and Jordan raised an eyebrow.

Jordan knew he had to get him to agree to a price before they could pull the car over, so he tried to work quickly. “I told you, Baby, whatever you want-“

“How. Old.”

Jordan huffed. “Fine, I’m seventeen, what does it matter?” he demanded. They turned onto a main street with a few bars and storefronts. It was when they passed under a street lamp that he heard a soft muttering on the radio. 

“Aw hell, that’s Hale?! I didn’t think he was a pervert,” John said and Jordan’s heart jumped when he realized this man was _Derek Hale_ , one of the more notorious alleged criminals in town. 

Hale, however, seemed to be lost in thought as they drove. He looked at him and crossed his arms. “Look, Mister, are you gonna tell me what you want or what? I’ve got mace if you got any smart ideas,” he warned, throwing in a warble to make himself sound frightened like a seventeen year old hooker would.

“Well at least you’re not a total idiot,” Hale said, and then they stopped abruptly. Jordan yelped when the seatbelt caught him and he looked out of the car, only to frown. “Get out, go inside, get out of the cold,” Hale said and Jordan turned to look at him in genuine confusion.

“Why are we at a diner?” he asked. “What are you-“

Hale cursed and leaned up in his seat, digging out his wallet. Jordan frowned when Hale dropped a ten in his lap. “Go buy yourself something hot to eat and get out of this cold. There is no reason for you to be doing this crap, Kid,” he said and Jordan was struck by a realization.

“You just picked up a hooker to feed him?” he asked point blank.

Hale glared at him some. “I’m about to throw an _underage minor_ out of my car if he doesn’t get out himself,” he warned, stressing his age. 

Jordan carefully slid back into his act. “Aw come on, you suuuure you don’t want me?” he purred seductively and Hale looked colder than ever.

“No I do _not_ want to screw a teenager. Unlike your clientele, I’m not a total pervert,” he gritted out. “Now get. Out.”

Jordan made a show of huffing and rolling his eyes as he took off the seatbelt and snatched the ten off his lap, all but throwing himself out of the car. He played up stomping up to the diner and when he looked back, Hale had already left. He sighed and shoved the money in his pocket, rolling his eyes as he walked back towards the street just in time for the Sheriff and Mayfield’s unmarked car to pull up. “Well, one thing we learned,” he said as he climbed into the backseat. “Even if he’s suspected in multiple crimes, Derek Hale at least isn’t a pervert who strangles seventeen year old boys,” he said and Mayfield laughed.

More curiously, the Sheriff looked oddly relieved.

~

It took three more hours before a car pulled up to the curb and rolled down its window. Jordan smirked and started his way towards the car, only to be interrupted by a loud groan of, ‘are you kidding me?!’ before he was grabbed from behind by the wrist and pulled around.

He gasped and yanked away from Hale, who looked livid. “Whoa, what the hell!” Jordan cried, but Hale just glared.

“Didn’t I pick you up and drive you like two miles from here?” he asked and Jordan shot him a look.

“So what? This is my spot.” He crossed his arms. “I’ve got a paying customer waiting, so if you don’t mind-“ He stopped when he whirled around and realized the car that had pulled up was gone. “Aw dammit!” He turned back to glare at Hale. “Thanks for that, really!”

Hale glared at him, then pointed at his car. “In.”

Jordan scoffed. “Uh, no.”

“In. Now,” Hale said, and Jordan crossed his arms, cocking a hip. Hale groaned. “Look, it’s forty degrees right now. If you freeze to death I will feel like shit and I’m really sick of feeling like shit,” he said openly. “Get in the car or I will put you in it.”

Jordan stood his ground before he heard a sigh over the radio. “Just do it, Son.”

Jordan grunted and huffed, but gave in. “Fine,” he grumbled, shuffling his way to the car, making sure to look like a pissy teenager. “You better be glad I can’t exactly tell the police what I was doing or I’d report you for kidnapping me,” he sniped and Hale rolled his eyes and slammed the door as soon as he was in, circling the car to the other side.

“You don’t know who I am,” Derek said when he got in the car and Jordan glared dramatically.

“I memorized the license plate number, they can find you that way,” he said without thinking, then winced.

Derek raised an eyebrow. “Mace and you memorize license plates? Jesus, how long have you been doing this crap?” he asked, looking upset by the realization that the kid in his car was versed in his ‘profession’.

Jordan was really glad he had made up a cover suddenly. “Long enough,” he said and then rolled his eyes and continued when Derek gave him an unimpressed look. “Just over a year.”

Derek cursed. “You’re _seventeen_ -“

“And?” Jordan asked. “Not many people paying people for sex really care that much how old they are. It’s not like the kind of people who pick up hookers off a corner are worried about statutory laws.”

Derek made a disgusted sound. “You’re a kid-“

“Oh yeah, like you’re ancient,” he countered, trying his best to be as bratty as possible so Derek would put him out somewhere. “What are you, twenty-two, Mr. Moral Compass?”

“Derek.” 

Jordan frowned. “That’s not an age-“

“My name is Derek,” he said in an annoyed tone. “What’s yours?” he asked and Jordan smirked.

“What do you want it to be-“

“Don’t pull that shit,” he gritted out, hands flexing on the wheel.

Jordan chuckled in amusement. “Jordan,” he answered finally and Derek sighed, nodding.

“Well, Jordan, do you have somewhere I can take you?” he asked, and Jordan hesitated. He looked out the window as he tried to think of something quickly. However, Derek clearly took his silence for something else. “Damn it,” he groaned. “And there are no homeless shelters in Beacon Hills,” Derek sighed.

Jordan shrugged. “I usually make enough to get a motel room for the week. My stuff is stashed in a hollow tree in the park when I’m between motels,” he lied and Derek ran a hand through his hair.

“Will your stuff be safe for one night?” he asked, and Jordan raised an eyebrow, curious what Derek was planning.

“Well… yeah, why?”

Derek turned on the blinker and hit the brakes, doing a quick U-Turn. Jordan sat silently as Derek pulled into the lot in front of a motel. Derek dug in his wallet again, but this time he came back with a few twenties. “Here, just stay out of the cold,” he said, shoving the money into Jordan’s hand. He then grabbed one of the twenties back and reached past Jordan to open the glove box to get a pen. He pressed the bill on the steering wheel and wrote a number on it before handing it back to Jordan. “I have a… friend, sort of,” he said in a softer tone. “If you need help, his dad is in law enforcement. He can help you out of this… this,” he said, cringing some. 

Jordan was astonished. “Why are you doing this?” he asked, genuinely curious. For all he knew, Derek Hale was a prime suspect in everything from murder to high profile gang crime. He couldn’t imagine why in God’s name Derek Hale would go to such lengths over a prostitute, even if he was a teenager. It just didn’t fit the profile of a dangerous criminal to be so compassionate.

Derek just sighed. “Because I know what it’s like to be sixteen and helpless. The difference is I had a sister that kept me from being forced to do anything close to what you are. Seventeen year olds don’t belong on the streets, you should be worried about high school, not where your next meal is coming from,” he said in an oddly compassionate tone. “Seriously, Jordan. If you don’t have somewhere to go or somebody to reconcile with, call that number, okay?”

Jordan bit his lip, but nodded. “Yeah,” he said, then opened the door. “Thanks, Derek,” he said in a small tone as he crawled out of the car. When he watched the SUV drive off, he stood there looking at the phone number in his hands until the car with Mayfield and Sheriff Stilinski pulled up. He gave them both a blank look as he walked over and they both looked surprised. “So, you both heard that, right?”

Mayfield looked shocked but John looked sad but somewhat proud. “That poor kid. I knew he had a big heart down in there,” he muttered and Jordan raised an eyebrow as he leaned in the window some.

“Isn’t he a dangerous criminal?”

Sheriff Stilinski shook his head. “No, Son, not really. Just a kid who has had a rough life.” He nodded to the backseat. “Let’s just call it a night. Give Hale the idea that he did something good for once instead of failing.”

Jordan was surprised by the Sheriff’s request, but nodded, getting in the car. “Hey,” he asked, holding out the twenty. “Any idea who this is?” he asked, and the Sheriff laughed in surprise when he read the phone number.

“Oh I have a good idea alright,” he said, but didn’t elaborate as they drove off and headed back to the station.

~

Parrish was slightly warmer tonight at least. His outfit consisted of low-slung, skin tight leather jeans and a dark grey shirt with the sleeves cut out. It showed off his middle slightly, and the metal and leather bracelets around his wrists jingled cold against his skin, but his shirt wasn’t mesh and his pants covered his legs, so it wasn’t quite as cold.

They had arrested a man already that night. He’d picked Jordan up and offered him forty bucks to blow him, so it was enough to arrest him for. Neither Jordan nor the Sheriff thought the middle aged banker who cried at the sight of a police badge was likely to be the killer, but it was a start. They needed suspects to develop profiles on the men who paid for sex from underage kids. Parrish dreaded the incident where he had to let the suspect actually grab him or kiss him to keep him from suspecting something was up in the few minutes it took for the other car to get to them. 

The nightmares he’d have from pervert-hands on his body would suck.

Jordan was just checking his phone to see what time it was when a car pulled up. He looked up, only to groan when he saw it was Derek again. Derek gave him a pointed look and Jordan walked over and leaned in the open window. “Are you checking up on me?” he asked and Derek grunted.

“I was hoping you’d taken me up on that offer to call my friend and I wouldn’t find you here,” he answered and Jordan shrugged.

“I get by, Derek,” he said softly, looking down at his hands so Derek couldn’t see the lie in his eyes.

Derek sighed. “Jordan, you don’t have to-“

“I don’t want charity,” Jordan argued. “Look, thanks, but seriously. I know what I’m doing. Now if you don’t mind-“

“At least let me get you something to eat?” Derek asked, conceding defeat. “Even prostitutes have to get dinner breaks, right?”

Jordan fidgeted. “Derek, I should-“

“You look cold and hungry. Please just let me do something?” Derek looked at Jordan with guilt and worry in his eyes. 

Jordan started to speak again but the voice in his ear cut him off. “Go ahead, Son. If you deny it, he’ll think something is up. No genuinely homeless seventeen year old would turn down a free meal, and we can’t risk blowing your cover. We’ll be close by, but Derek Hale won’t hurt you.”

“I’m not trying anything, Jordan,” Derek said, and Jordan gave a convincing sigh of defeat.

He looked at Derek, then nodded. He stepped back and opened the door. “Fine, but you better not make me walk all the way back here,” he said and Derek looked slightly pained but nodded as they drove off.

They went to the same diner Derek had dropped him outside of the first time he picked him up. Jordan hoped nobody recognized him and messed up his cover. He slid into a booth across from Derek and leaned back some, crossing his arms over his middle to just look at him. Derek shrugged off his leather jacket, and Jordan was a little bit taken aback by how big and muscular Derek was in a tight long sleeved tee-shirt. He’d known he was big from before, but his arms and chest were huge. His mouth ran away with him before he had a chance to stop. “Holy shit, what is someone as hot as you doing wasting your Saturday night feeding a hooker?!” he asked, then slapped a hand over his mouth, shocked at his own outburst

Derek looked annoyed rather than surprised, flattered, or freaked out, which were the only things Jordan would’ve expected. “I don’t know, why is someone as young as you are choosing to sell your body instead of accepting help?” he countered and Jordan huffed.

“If this is some ‘you shouldn’t be a slut’ crap-“

“Don’t twist my words,” Derek interrupted. “I’m not saying anything about your choices. You can sleep with whoever the hell you want to. Hell, I don’t really see that much of a problem with prostitution in general. God knows I’d have been better off paying for sex than dating the last few people I have,” he said and Jordan raised an eyebrow. “But nobody should _have_ to do it, Jordan. Especially not a kid,” he said, eyes softening some. Jordan could see sadness in the way Derek looked at him. “And nobody should be paying to sleep with a minor. The type of perverts that pay you for sex are the kind that should seriously be in prison,” he grumbled with an annoyed expression.

Jordan bit his lip. “It could be worse,” he said and Derek raised an eyebrow. Jordan sighed. “Derek, I’m a prostitute, at least I’m not stealing shit to get by. It’s an honest living, no matter how questionable-“

“But you shouldn’t _have_ to. Jordan, there are people who can help you-“

Jordan crossed his arms. “When you were seventeen, would you have wanted some random stranger to pity you?”

“It isn’t pity, it’s kindness-“

“Would you have wanted it?” Jordan asked again, and Derek deflated some. 

Derek ran a hand through his hair, then sat back. “No, I guess not,” he admitted, and Jordan tilted his head as if to say ‘exactly’. “Fine,” Derek said. “I won’t push it. You’re right.” He shrugged. “I don’t like accepting help either. But something tells me a seventeen year old boy never turns down free food,” he said with a hopeful look and Jordan managed a smile.

“Yeah, you can feed me,” he allowed, then rolled his eyes. “You are such a freak.”

Derek laughed sharply, seeming surprised by even himself. “You have no idea,” he said under his breath as he turned to see where the waiter was.

~

After that night, it almost fell into a pattern. Derek dropped by around midnight and picked Jordan up to take him and buy him dinner. After the third night, Jordan was left standing on the sidewalk wearing Derek’s jacket because Derek claimed he was tired of him shivering the whole time they sat at the diner. Within six nights, they had arrested five men, but none of them stood out as the strangler. They had them for soliciting sex from a minor, but none of them seemed to be the killer. However, they were at least getting a feel for what kind of man might have been the killer.

Parrish didn’t go out every night, even he got days off occasionally, but after a second week with no leads, he was getting worried they wouldn’t ever catch the killer. He was also getting worried about how much he had come to like Derek Hale.

“No seriously,” Derek said with a smile. “I remember crying to my mom about how I had lost my uncle’s keys and I thought he was going to beat me up over it,” he finished and Jordan laughed.

“I cannot believe six year old Derek thought his uncle would kill him over lost keys,” he said, rolling his eyes. 

Derek shrugged. “He was only a teenager, so he played with me and my sisters a lot. I didn’t really think about him as an adult.” He snorted. “Still don’t,” he muttered and Jordan snickered.

“What’s your family like now?” he asked, and Derek’s smile slipped slowly. Jordan paled when he remembered, too late, that Derek’s family was dead. However, he couldn’t TELL Derek he knew that. He floundered on what to say before Derek sighed, picking at his food.

“My family died in a fire. Most of them.” He looked up. “Remember how I said I knew what it was like to be a teenager alone?” Jordan nodded. “My sister was eighteen. I was sixteen. My uncle survived but he was in a catatonic state. It was just me and my sister for a while.” He closed his eyes, shoulders slumping some. “And then my sister was killed. Almost two years ago now.” 

Jordan reached out and grabbed Derek’s hand. “Derek, I’m so sorry.”

Derek looked up in surprise at the hand on his, but Jordan didn’t take it back. “It’s okay,” Derek said. “My uncle woke up. I don’t really like him that much but hey, he’s alive. And I found my little sister again. She was missing and presumed dead, but she’s alive.”

Jordan smiled. “That’s great,” he said, sliding his hand away from Derek’s. “So is she living with you now?”

Derek shook his head. “Nah, she moved away. It’s just me.” He shrugged. “But it’s not so bad. I mean, I’ve got friends and a house.”

Jordan smiled sadly. “You’ve got an annoying teenager to pester you now,” he added and Derek chuckled.

“I have plenty of annoying teenagers pestering me. It’s amazing that I ended up stuck in a life where most of my friends are teenagers,” he said, rolling his eyes. 

Jordan tapped at his plate with his fork. He felt like he should at least share something with Derek. “My dad left when I was four,” he said, and it felt somewhat terrifying that he wasn’t lying. He was just going to tell this man who thought he was a seventeen year old prostitute the truth. “Never saw him again. And my mom liked me right up until she found out I liked boys.” He winced some. It was the last bit that was true, but it still smarted. He dug into a lie after that. “She sent me to military school, but I failed out. When they sent me home she wasn’t there anymore.” He shrugged, shaking his head. “I’ve been on my own since.”

Derek shook his head. “I cannot imagine a mother doing that.” He laughed weakly. “My mother always forgave me. Whatever I did, she forgave me. I did one thing that was really bad and it ended in a girl at school dying,” he admitted and Jordan’s eyes widened. “Yeah, that bad. But she still forgave me.” He shook his head. “My mom loved me even though I did something that led to a girl _dying_.”

Jordan smiled sadly. “Look at us, huh? Your mother was taken from you. Mine didn’t want me.” He shook his head bitterly. “Life just really likes to fuck with people, huh?”

Derek nodded with a weak smile. “It sure does. Sometimes I just wonder, ‘when does it end?’ but I haven’t gotten an answer yet.”

Jordan felt a pang for the bitterness in Derek’s tone. “It has to eventually.”

“I hope so.”

~

Jordan hadn’t seen Derek in two nights since he had a night off and then the previous night they had some issues with one of the suspects they brought in to custody in that he attacked Jordan when the lights showed up in the rearview mirror and he realized Jordan was a plant. Jordan had been fine, just a bruised lip, cheek, and forehead, but they had to take the attacker in and file a formal ‘assaulted a deputy’ claim. The worst part of it all was that the man wasn’t their strangler. He had been working two of the nights there were murders. 

When Derek drove up, Jordan pulled his hands out of the pockets of the leather jacket Derek had let him keep and walked over without thinking and just hopped into the car. However, when he turned to Derek with a greeting and saw the look of rage in Derek’s eyes, he froze. “Dere-“ He was cut off when Derek reached out and grabbed his chin – gently – and turned on the interior lights, angling his face to see. “Derek,” he sighed, pulling away slowly.

Derek let out a sound almost like a growl. “Who did this?” he asked in a much deeper tone than Jordan was used to. 

“It’s nothing, just a bruise-“

“It is not!” Derek cried. “Jordan, your face looks like someone used you for a punching bag! Who did this to you?” 

Jordan glared. “I don’t know, okay?”

Derek gritted his teeth. “Well was it another guy out here on the street?”

Jordan ducked his eyes. “It was a customer,” he muttered, and Derek stilled. “Derek-“

“Jordan… did someone-“ Derek took a calming breath. “Did someone attack you?” he asked in a strangled tone.

Jordan looked up and met Derek’s eyes. “Not like that,” he said in a weak tone. “Just a John that didn’t appreciate me running my mouth I guess.” He smiled sadly. “You seemed to get sick of my mouth pretty quick when you met me,” he pointed out. 

Derek let his head drop to the steering wheel and stayed that way for a few minutes before silently lifting his head and driving them to the diner. After dinner when Derek stopped Jordan before he got in the car and, he held Jordan’s face in his hands, thumb stroking gently over the bruises he examined more closely. When his worried eyes fell to the bruise above Jordan’s eyebrow, Jordan closed his eyes and let Derek gently stroke his tender skin. 

The crazy part was that, for the rest of the ride back and even after he got out and Derek left, Jordan’s face wasn’t as sore as it had been.

~

Jordan yawned, looking across the car at Derek as he drove him back to his corner. “Why do you keep doing this?” Derek raised an eyebrow and Jordan smiled tiredly, warm and sleepy after a hot meal and a long night so far. “Picking me up every night.”

Derek made a noncommittal sound. “I’ve got nothing better to do. Besides,” he said, glancing over at Jordan. “I know how lonely it gets not having anybody who really gives a shit. You deserve somebody in your life that does give a shit,” he said simply.

Jordan grinned at the way Derek’s words warmed something in his chest. “Trying to say you care about me, Hale?” he teased and Derek rolled his eyes.

“Yes, Jordan, I care.” 

Jordan smirked, settling back against the seat to smile across at Derek. “You’re a good guy, Derek,” he decided and Derek chuckled softly.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” he replied, and Jordan bit his lip as he turned to look out the window, trying not to think about the way Derek’s words made his insides squirm.

~

It was after nearly three weeks of undercover work that, without warning, two things happened. First, there was a fourth murder. Another teen boy, this one eighteen, was found strangled not three blocks from Jordan’s corner. Because of the fourth murder, Jordan was even more shocked by the second thing that happened.

“We’re taking you off the street,” Sheriff Stilinski said to Jordan when he asked him what they had for him to wear tonight. “You’re gonna get tomorrow off and then after that you’re back on days.”

Jordan frowned. “But we were only three blocks from the last body dump. Surely if I keep it up we’ll catch this guy.”

Mayfield snorted. “Hard to catch a killer if you’re getting picked up by a criminal every night for your little dates-“

“Hey, don’t talk like that,” John interrupted. He looked at Jordan with an apologetic look. “We don’t actually think you’re doing anything wrong-“

“Maybe you don’t,” another deputy muttered on the way past and John glared after her. Jordan just ducked his head.

John sighed. “Look, it was a long shot anyways.”

Jordan nodded reluctantly. “I guess so. What’re we gonna try instead?”

John patted him on the shoulder. “Just let me handle that. You should get your mind off this case. Decompress some. Why don’t you head back home, get a jump start on your day off tomorrow, then I’ll see you again Sunday, okay, Parrish?” he offered, and Jordan frowned at the obvious lie in his voice.

“Yeah… okay,” he said, forcing a smile. “Thanks, sir.”

When he got in the car, he couldn’t help but wonder what the Sheriff wanted him off the case for. All he could figure is that Mayfield wasn’t wrong, his ‘friendship’ with Derek was becoming too much. It was the right idea, he knew it. Trying to catch the killer with an undercover hooker was their best ploy, he knew it. 

He just had to find a way to figure out how better to catch the killer.

~

As Jordan stalked down the street in tight jeans, a tee-shirt he’d cut the sleeves and sides out of, and Derek’s leather jacket, Jordan couldn’t help but think that this was easily the dumbest thing he’d ever did. 

After they took him off the case, Jordan went three days back on the normal beat before he realized he couldn’t _not_ do anything. So if the Sheriff’s department wasn’t going to continue their operation, he decided he would keep going on his own. He had a small handgun in his boot and mace in the other, as well as dispatch on speed dial 1 on his phone, but other than that, he was fair game. He wouldn’t get in the car, since this time he had no backup, but he could walk the streets and look out for anything odd.

The weird thing was, he hadn’t seen anybody all night. A few cars, but no other people on the street. He hadn’t even seen the drug dealer he kept reporting but they kept missing that liked to stand two blocks down from Jordan’s normal corner. Jordan figured he’d give it a little while longer before walking up another block. 

However, before he could get moving, Derek drove up. Jordan fought down a smile and a warm feeling he refused to name as he waved at Derek. The surprising part, however, was that Derek barely let the car stop before he jumped out and came walking swiftly up to Jordan. “Hi, Dere-“

“Jordan, thank God, what are you doing here?” Derek asked quickly, looking around in a twitchy manner.

Jordan frowned. “What do you mean ‘thank God’? I’m-“

“You weren’t here the past few nights and I read about a teenager being found dead,” Derek said and Jordan paled, realizing Derek had automatically assumed it was him.

“Oh no. Derek, I’m sorry! I just tried a new spot instead. I didn’t mean to worry you,” he said, laying a hand on Derek’s arm. “I’m fine,” he said, smiling at Derek. “See? All back to normal.”

Derek looked at him for a long moment, then looked to the left suddenly, shoulders tightening. “Jordan, get in the car,” he said slowly and Jordan raised an eyebrow at Derek’s weird behavior, but turned and walked when Derek nudged him towards the SUV. 

“Whatever. You’re being very weird.” Jordan got in the car and before he was even buckled in, Derek had managed to get into the truck and pull away from the curb. Jordan watched him curiously, trying to put together what had Derek acting all strange, but Derek was like a stone wall, he was so unreadable. He followed Derek into the diner and, after the waitress left with their orders, he sighed and rolled his eyes. “Derek, what’re you being so weird for?” he asked. He reached out and laid a hand over Derek’s. “Is everything okay?”

Derek shrugged his shoulders and grunted something like ‘nothing’ and didn’t say any more. He was extremely untalkative all through their meal. He barely said a word to anything Jordan said, choosing instead to stare into his water glass for some reason. Whatever was bothering Derek seemed to be keeping him locked up in his own head instead of actually there with Jordan. Jordan had seen Derek in a broody mood before, but he seemed jumpy and broody at the same time somehow.

Jordan didn’t get much more than terse, one-word answers out of Derek at all until they got back out into Derek’s car. Before they even got out of the parking lot, Jordan reached over and put a hand on Derek’s wrist before he could turn the key. “Derek,” he said softly and Derek looked up with guarded eyes. “Derek, something’s bothering you. What is it?”

Derek sighed, letting his head thump back against the headrest. “I just…” He winced some, eyes shut. “I’m just not having a good day. My sister died two years ago today.”

Jordan swallowed against the lump that lodged itself in his throat. “Oh Derek,” he said sadly, curling his fingers around Derek’s hand when he let it drop from the ignition. “I’m sorry. You should’ve told me. I wouldn’t have run my mouth so much.”

Derek shook his head. “I like you talking to me,” he said, looking over at Jordan. His eyes searched Jordan’s face. “I don’t really… have anybody else to talk to. None of my friends really care that much.”

Jordan huffed, frowning slightly. “Shitty friends you have there, Derek. I haven’t known you long at all and I care.”

“I know you do,” Derek said with a sad smile. He squeezed Jordan’s hand when Jordan met his smile. He looked down. “Jordan… will you come home with me?” he asked, looking up nervously. 

Jordon raised an eyebrow. “What? Derek, I need to get back to work,” he said, thinking of catching the killer. 

“Just one night,” Derek urged. “I mean, I’ll pay you whatever you normally make,” he added and Jordan’s heart sank. Derek had been too close for a while, but he didn’t think Derek would stoop to becoming just another John.

“O-oh,” Jordan said, looking down. “I didn’t realize-“

“No!” Derek said quickly, and Jordon looked up to see Derek’s cheeks flushed. “I don’t mean- No, Jordan, I would never-“ He groaned, putting his hands over his eyes. “I just meant that I know you need to make money and I’ll match whatever you would make in the rest of the night. I’m not seeking your ‘services’,” he said, biting his lip apologetically when he met Jordan’s eyes. “I just don’t want to be alone.” He shook his head, voice soft. “Not tonight.” Jordan eyed him closely and Derek’s eyebrows went up some as he tilted his head. “Please?”

It was that vulnerable tone in his voice, the one that said Derek really just wanted to spend time with Jordan so he wasn’t alone, like nobody else could help him the way Jordan could, that made Jordan finally smile and nod. He reached out and curled his fingers around Derek’s fingers again, squeezing gently. “You don’t have to pay me, Derek,” he said softly. “I care about you, okay? You shouldn’t have to be alone if you feel sad.” Derek swallowed visibly, but relaxed and nodded.

“Okay. Thanks.”

Jordan let go when Derek moved to start the car and sat back, fighting the fluttering feeling in his belly as he subtly curled and uncurled his fingers that had been in Derek’s hand. Jordan knew he was getting in too deep, and he knew he was letting Derek get too attached to him. He just didn’t know how he was supposed to say no to being with Derek when he needed someone. 

Jordan had a feeling none of Derek’s friends really were the kind to be there for him the way Jordan wanted to. So he settled on the knowledge that he had other nights to catch the killer. It would be alright to give one night off.

~

Jordan was a little surprised when Derek took them to the very top level of an older, rundown building and they came off and entered a warehouse-looking loft. “Wow, where did you get this place, ‘condemned cotton storehouses dot com’?” he asked, and Derek rolled his eyes as he pulled the heavy sliding door shut behind them. Jordan shrugged off his – Derek’s – jacket and dropped it across the back of the couch as he walked across the open space to the large wall of windows behind a worktable. He looked at the spiral staircase to his left and glanced up before turning his attention back to the windows. “The view from here is kind of amazing,” Jordan said with a smile as he turned back to Derek, who had sat on the couch. He walked over and sat down beside Derek, then chuckled as he looked straight ahead. “I like your giant hole in the wall,” he teased and Derek stretched, laughing softly at Jordan’s faux-sincere expression.

“Yeah, that’s the sketchy elevator. I don’t think it works, but the giant hole in the wall gives a nice view of the old iron grates, don’t you think,” he said and Jordan snickered at him.

“I now see why your door wasn’t locked, though,” Jordan said, looking over at the large, sliding door. “No reason to lock the door when you have a giant hole in your wall that leads into the hall.”

Derek nodded. “Pretty much. That’s why I put the bed in the corner. At least I don’t have to look at the giant hole when I’m trying to fall asleep.”

Jordan leaned back into the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table. “Here’s what I don’t get,” he started, only to stop when Derek cleared his throat pointedly. He raised an eyebrow and Derek glanced at his boots on the coffee table. Jordan rolled his eyes and shuffled around, putting his legs across Derek’s lap instead, leaning against the arm of the couch with a challenging grin. Derek rolled his eyes but didn’t move Jordan’s legs. “As I was saying,” he continued. “You’re rich, right?” He shrugged, looking around the loft. “Why not get an apartment that isn’t a health code violation?”

Derek shrugged. “Before this I was squatting in the old train depot,” he admitted and Jordan raised both eyebrows. Derek smiled and shrugged, looking bashful. “I guess I just don’t need luxury. I’m not great at this ‘adult’ thing, and this place I was able to just buy flat out. I don’t have to worry about paying my bills on time or going to the bank and stuff. I think the owner of the building forgot I live here, cause they’ve never asked me to pay for the water or electricity, so I don’t have to worry about that either.”

Jordan scoffed. “Derek, you can’t suck at being an adult that bad.”

“I never had much of a reason to learn.” Derek shrugged. “I’ve never had a job so I don’t know how taxes work. I don’t know how a lease works, cause I just buy things flat out. I’ve never rented or had bills. I mean I have a phone bill, but that just comes directly out of my account every month. I think this is why all my friends are teenagers,” he admitted, scratching at the back of his hair awkwardly. “I don’t think other adults take me seriously. I’m like a spoiled rich college student, without the college part, and I choose to live kinda like a homeless person.”

Jordan nudged Derek’s belly with his knee. “Hey, I don’t judge you.” He smiled at Derek when Derek met his eyes. “You’re a good person, Derek Hale. Most people don’t have the heart you do. No matter what your past, or how you choose to live your life, you’re better than most people I know.”

“Doesn’t help most of the town thinks I’m a criminal,” Derek said, absently picking at fuzz on Jordan’s jeans. “I probably should’ve mentioned that when we started hanging out, but… I kinda. I’ve been arrested. A few times.”

Jordan hesitated some before crossing his arms behind his head, bracing his head up so he could see Derek a little better. “What did you get arrested for?”

Derek sighed heavily, putting a hand over his face. “Well, first time, it was for allegedly murdering my sister, which I didn’t,” he said and Jordan nudged him with his knee again.

“I know you didn’t, Derek. You talk about her all the time. A man who loves someone that much doesn’t kill them,” he said confidently. “What else?”

“Well,” Derek started hesitantly. “I was wanted for a while after that. They thought I killed more people, but my friend helped me hide out until they caught the real killer. It was some kid from my friend’s school. Then just recently I got arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He grimaced. “Okay, it’ll sound bad, but this man I know sold an artifact to some people and they turned out to be gang members and I was at his house with him when the police came looking cause the money was crime money and we both got arrested.” He looked up and shook his head innocently. “But they let me go when they realized what happened.”

Jordan knew that wasn’t the whole truth, he had been otherwise occupied when Derek Hale had been arrested for gang crimes, but he figured Derek didn’t want to go into details with him, so he let it pass. “Doesn’t sound like you did anything.”

Derek scoffed. “Once a criminal suspect, always a mass murdering psycho, it seems.” He shrugged. “I dunno. I just… I wish I could go to the grocery store without old ladies clutching their purses to their chests when I push my cart past them,” he muttered in an adorable whiny tone. 

Jordan grinned at how cute Derek looked, head down, picking at the lint on Jordan’s jeans as his legs rested in Derek’s lap, looking so dejected. It was sad but adorable at the same time. “You know, you never did tell me how old you are, but if you keep pouting like that, I’m gonna assume it’s five,” he teased.

Derek looked up and gave him a flat look. “I’m twenty-three.”

“You’re an adorable twenty-three,” he joked and Derek grumbled, pushing his legs off his lap before standing up. “Awww, no, I was just teasing,” Jordon called as Derek walked towards a door in the corner.

Derek smiled back at him. “Yeah, yeah. I’m thirsty,” he said with a shrug.

Jordan perked up and hopped up to follow. “Oooh I want a drink,” he said, following Derek into a small kitchen with another door off the side that Jordan assumed was the bathroom. He edged past Derek, who had stopped to open a cabinet and grab a glass, and he looked in the refrigerator. Jordan raised an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder at Derek. “Dude, you’re twenty-three and you don’t have beer or soda?” he asked skeptically.

Derek raised an eyebrow back at him, leaning over the open door to read between Jordan and the door and grab a _box of apple juice_ of all things. “I don’t drink and soda is bad for you,” he said, staring at Jordan as he plucked the straw off the box, tore off the plastic, and stabbed the juice box without a hint of shame.

Jordan laughed and shook his head. He took the glass Derek offered him and poured a glass of grapefruit juice before returning the bottle and following Derek out of the kitchen. He couldn’t help snicker and duck his eyes when he watched Derek flop back onto the couch, happily sipping his juice box. “You’re so _weird_.” He sat right beside Derek and curled his legs under him as he faced Derek. “At least it’s not Juicy-Juice,” he teased and Derek grinned.

“Well I got too old for that, cause everybody knows that’s one hundred percent juice for one hundred percent kids,” he said in a mock-serious tone that made Jordan crack up and almost choke on his grapefruit juice.

When Jordan looked up, the smile on Derek’s face was so genuinely happy and beautiful that he couldn’t help smiling back at him. Jordan propped his elbow on the back of the couch and rested his chin in his hand as he looked at Derek. “How does anybody find you scary, Derek Hale?” he mused as Derek’s smile slid into a more soft, comfortable smile than blinding. “You’re not a tough criminal, you’re a giant, adorable fluff ball, aren’t you?” 

Derek’s eyes twinkled in amusement that escaped Jordan some, but Derek just tilted his head. “Never know, I could be a serial killer. They’re always the person you’d least suspect.”

Jordan chuckled. “Yeah, but they’re charming, not adorable.” He leaned over and put his glass down. “Besides,” Jordan said, settling back and grabbing one of Derek’s hands off his lap to pull into his hands. “You don’t have the calluses of a serial killer,” he said, holding Derek’s hand palm-up. “See? Serial killers have to dispose of bodies, so they have calluses from burying people or cutting their bodies up. You have neither of these things,” he said, stroking a fingertip over the palm of Derek’s hand and up each finger to the fingertip. “You’ve just got big, soft hands. It’s easy to tell you aren’t one for manual labor, and that includes serial murder.”

Jordan looked up and saw Derek was still looking down at where he was tracing a finger over Derek’s hand. When Derek looked up and met his eyes, Derek smirked some. “What if I wore gloves?”

“You would still get calluses,” Jordan countered. He curled Derek’s fingers into his palm one at a time, smiling at how neat and even Derek’s nails were. “Somebody gets manicures,” he teased and Derek rolled his eyes.

“I like healthy nails,” he defended and Jordan snickered.

“Not blaming you, I just think it’s adorable. You look all scruffy and like a hobo, but you’re secretly very conscientious of your appearance, aren’t you?”

Derek shrugged. “I just like being neat.” He looked at the frayed edges of the cut out sleeves of Jordan’s top and nodded at them. “Unlike you, I like neat clothes.”

Jordan winked. “I’m supposed to look trashy, Derek. I doubt I’d get a lot of attention in a nice, neat polo and jeans that aren’t tight and torn.”

Derek’s eyes dimmed some and he shook his head minutely, looking at Jordan’s face. “As beautiful as you are, Jordan, you could be wearing a parka and you’d still get attention just by looking up so somebody can see your eyes.”

Jordan’s chest tightened as he met Derek’s eyes, which were pretty damn beautiful as well. “Nobody cares about my eyes, Derek.”

“They should. Your eyes are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, and people who don’t appreciate how incredible your eyes are are missing the best part of you,” he murmured, reaching up to curl his free hand around Jordan’s cheek. “Beautiful green eyes, long eyelashes, and freckled cheeks. How could anybody miss your eyes?”

Jordan swallowed hard, breath catching some as Derek’s eyes flickered down to his lips. “Derek,” he breathed, leaning closer. “Derek,” he whispered again, eyes once again locking with Derek’s pale, mysterious gaze as he closed the gap. Derek’s eyelashes fluttering were the last Jordan saw before he let his eyes shut at the first brush of Derek’s lips against his. He curled the hand not holding Derek’s on his lap into Derek’s shirt, pulling Derek closer as the kiss went from a chaste brush to a _kiss_.

Derek’s beard prickled Jordan’s skin, but his lips were _so soft_. Jordan couldn’t breathe for how fast his heart was beating. Derek’s hand on his face was so gentle, and the way he kissed Jordan without pulling him closer to something so tender it made Jordan’s chest hurt. He had never kissed someone in a way that felt so much bigger than it was. There were no hands groping or searching for skin, and yet it still felt more intense and sexually charged than Jordan’s most heated make out session before it. Derek tilted Jordan’s face with the smallest touch to his jaw and the kiss suddenly grew wetter and deeper, startling a low groan out of Jordan as Derek’s heart jumped beneath the hand he had pressed to Derek’s chest. Jordan tugged at Derek’s shirt and hand as he shifted and crawled into Derek’s lap without breaking the kiss. 

Derek smiled against his lips as the kiss slowed some and Jordan broke away just long enough to meet Derek’s eyes and then move his lips to Derek’s neck. Derek groaned softly as Jordan nipped at his skin, hands settling on Derek’s shoulders as his lips moved downward. Derek let his head fall back and groaned. “Jordan,” he moaned softly as Jordan kissed a trail down to his collar bones, tugging his shirt a little so they were bared to him. “Jordan.” Jordan picked his head up and moved back to kiss Derek, making Derek tip his head back as Jordan pressed forward, letting their bodies rest flush together, arms going around Derek’s neck. 

“Mmmm, Derek,” Jordan moaned, knees settled on either side of Derek’s waist as he pressed his body against Derek’s. Derek’s hands slid up his thighs to his hips, but to Jordan’s confusion, Derek gently pushed backwards, guiding Jordan further away from Derek’s hips. “Derek?” he mumbled against his lips.

Derek eased Jordan back into sitting further out on his thighs and broke the kiss with a series of gentle pecks. “Jordan, I can’t, you’re seventeen,” he reminded reluctantly, and it was like a bucket of ice water dumped over Jordan’s head.

He jerked away from Derek, eyes wide. “Oh God,” he breathed, falling backwards off of Derek’s lap, landing ass-first on the coffee table. Derek reached out for him reflexively, but Jordan caught his hand, shaking his head more to himself than at Derek. His throat tightened and his heart pounded as he fought a wave of emotions he couldn’t even name. It was a mix of pain and regret and fear and _shame_. Because Jordan knew he had feelings for Derek. He knew he felt something for Derek that was very real. It was something that made him feel happier and lighter when Derek was around and made him wonder what Derek was doing any time Derek wasn’t there. Because of how he felt about Derek, after Derek let him in and told him so many things Derek probably didn’t trust many people with, Jordon had forgot the most important part of everything.

Derek thought Jordan was a seventeen year old prostitute.

Nothing could happen because Jordan was lying to Derek. He’d been lying to him for weeks. Jordan knew Derek, but Derek knew a lie Jordan was telling him. He was abusing Derek’s feelings and trust in the most horrible way ever and he suddenly felt all the guilt he had been avoiding since he and Derek became friends falling down on him all at once.

Jordan swallowed around the lump in his throat and stood up quickly. “I- I have to go,” he choked out, grabbing the leather jacket and swinging it on. “I’m so sorry, Derek.”

Derek was up in a flash, following him. “Jordan, wait.” He caught Jordan’s wrist. Jordan blinked past the burning in his eyes and looked back at Derek’s desperate expression. “Jordan, you don’t have to go. I- I care about you,” he said so sincerely that Jordan wanted to die for the way he had played with Derek’s emotions. “I shouldn’t, and I know that. But just because I don’t feel right having sex with a seventeen year old, that doesn’t mean-“ Derek shook his head. “You don’t have to go. Please, don’t go,” he added so vulnerably. “You can stay without anything happening. I want you to stay.” He stepped closer, catching Jordan’s waist with his other hand. He forced an uneasy smile as he leaned closer. “Stay, Jordan.” He shook his head. “I want you to stay the night. Not for sex. But- but I just want to be with you.” Jordan could see the hope in his eyes as he pressed his forehead to Jordan’s and whispered, “Please?”

Jordan couldn’t hold back the tear that streaked his cheek when he shook his head slowly and stepped out of Derek’s hold with a shaky breath. “I’m sorry,” he said, and instantly he saw Derek’s shoulders droop and Derek’s expressive eyes showed everything so vividly he could almost swear he heard Derek’s heart shatter. Jordan couldn’t hold in a ragged sob before he turned and all but fled from Derek’s apartment. 

He ran out of the door and didn’t stop running until he was two miles from the building and his lungs were burning and he simply couldn’t run any more.

~

Jordan was exhausted. Derek’s building was seven miles from the corner where he’d been working and he’d had been up all day before running the first two miles. By the time he got back to the corner, he planned on heading straight for his car parked around the block, but he only made it halfway down the block when a man stepped out of the alley beside him, making him jump back some.

“I wondered where you were for so long,” the guy said, and Jordan tensed, immediately alert in spite of being tired. He stepped out of the darkness and Jordan shuffled back some.

“Look, I’m off the clock, sorry,” he said, backing away slowly, already pulling out his car keys. He wasn’t but about two hundred yards from his car. “Uh, you’ll have to catch me tomorrow.”

The man tutted, his polished shoes tapping against the concrete as he followed Jordan equally as slow as Jordan’s steps away from him. He tilted his head, eyes _glowing_ slightly in the light of the streetlamp. Jordan stumbled slightly when he realized his eyes were actually glowing. “What the fuck?” Jordan muttered, but this his eyes fell to the man’s hand and he saw he was fingering a leather cord with two beads on it. The man let one end drop, the beads clinking together when they fell, and Jordan paled when he realized exactly who had quite literally walked up to him. Jordan looked up and met his eyes, reaching into his pocket to hit speed dial on his phone to connect to dispatch, but before he could unlock his phone, the man jumped unnaturally fast and grabbed his arms, yanking his hand from his pocket. “HEY! What’re you-“ Jordan didn’t get a chance to speak further before the man threw him into the building and he crumpled to the ground heavily.

He scrambled for his phone, but the man kicked it out of his hands and he watched helplessly as it skittered away into the alley. Jordan reached into his boot, but the man grabbed him by the wrist and picked him up, entirely off the ground, holding Jordan in a display of extraordinary strength. “I knew you’d be quite the challenge,” he purred, and Jordan kicked out, trying to hit him.

“I’m a fucking sheriff’s deputy! You will never get-“

“Oh I know, it was so adorable watching you play whore for so long.” He leaned closer, grinning dangerously. “You’re a little old for my tastes, but eh, it’s worth the challenge.” Jordan kicked harder, trying to get away when he saw the other hand coming up, the leather cord dangling from it. 

Jordan twisted sharply, making his wrist pop painfully, but he managed to connect a kick to the man’s knee, startling the man into dropping him. Jordan fell when he landed, but he scrambled to his feet, getting a few feet before a hand caught his jacket and reeled him in. “Get off of me!” Jordan snarled, but a hand was slapped over his mouth and he was dragged backwards. He saw headlights coming and yelled into the hand over his mouth, kicking and fighting as the guy dragged him into the alley. He managed to kick over some boxes stacked by the trashcan and knock them into the street, but he knew it wasn’t enough to attract the passing driver as he was dragged back into the alley. The man sneered as he shoved Jordan face first into the brick wall, making him groan at the pain of his forehead scraping down the bricks. He could feel blood coming to the surface and struggled to use the wall to push off of, but it was a futile attempt. The man along his back was far too strong.

Jordan panicked some when he felt the man feeding the beaded end of the leather strap between Jordan’s throat and the wall so he could grab the end, but over the pounding of his blood in his ears, he heard a noise that was a godsend: the squeal of tires on pavement. The man stilled and Jordan used the moment’s distraction to plant his feet against the wall and _push_ with all his strength. It was just enough to knock them both over, the man slamming into the ground under him, his hands falling away from Jordan’s mouth. “HELP ME!” he shouted as loud as possible as he rolled away from the guy. He got to his feet and sprinted for the opening of the alley just as he saw silhouettes of people coming from the blue jeep stopped haphazardly half on the curb and half in the street. He only made it a little ways before the man caught him and this time he threw Jordan at the brick wall of the alley hard enough that Jordan let out a cry of pain as the impact made something else pop in his injured arm.

He landed heavily, whining in pain as he tried to breathe, unable to do more than wriggle away from the man’s approaching shoes. He crawled on his elbows until one of those shined shoes came down hard on his back, making him cry out in pain. “I SEE HIM!” Jordan heard a shout and lifted his head just in time to see flashlights shined their way. A body came flying from behind the flashlights and he ducked his head as it flew into the man attacking him and they both went tumbling down the alley.

Jordan cradled his wrist against his body as he stumbled to his feet and made his way towards the flashlights. When he got there, he was shocked to see that the flashlights were held by a somewhat familiar looking girl holding a _sword_ in the other hand and the Sheriff’s son. “Stiles?” he asked, blinking against the light.

Stiles lowered the flashlight and raised an eyebrow. “Deputy Parrish?” he asked, looking him over. “Uh, what’re you-“

“STILES LOOK OUT!” Jordan spun and immediately pushed the two kids out of the way just before the man with the glowing eyes tackled him to the ground and was up in a shot, pulling Jordan up by his injured wrist, seemingly on purpose. “Don’t hurt him!” the voice called and Jordan was snatched around by a hand on his throat until he was pinned against the man’s chest. He watched as another teen boy – the one he recognized as Stiles’s friend, Scott – came walking out of the alley, hands held out in a gesture of surrender to the man with the glowing eyes. “Look, let him go, he’s a sheriff’s deputy, that’s serious-“

“Oh like laws matter to _us_ ,” he man almost purred, sounding more than a little insane. “Besides, he’s been trying to catch me all this time. I put off hunting for my young ones just to wait for the right time to take _this one_.”

Jordan heard the approach of another vehicle, but he was held by his throat in a way that made him unable to look. “S-Scott,” he choked out. Scott’s eyes met him and Jordan rasped out, “Just- just get the other two and get out of here. C-Call the Sheriff but get out of here. Go!” he commanded.

“Awww, a protector of the public even in the face of death,” the man said, and then, much to Jordan’s horror, he _licked_ Jordan’s face, making him whimper and grimace. “Mmmm he tastes like a beta. My, my, what’ve you been up to, my little deputy-“

There was the slamming of a car door and Jordan heard the last voice he expected to hear at the moment. “You let go of him right now and I might let you live.”

Jordan’s eyes flew wide. “D-Derek?” he squeaked, eyes straining to the side. 

Derek walked into his field of vision, rage painting his features as his eyes locked on the man holding Jordan. “Let go of him. Now,” he ordered.

“Mmmmm I think I won’t.” Jordan’s eyes flew wide when the hand around his throat tightened and cut off his oxygen. His hands flew up to claw at the hand on his throat, scrabbling and scraping at the skin on the man’s hand as he fought to break his grasp, but he was pretty sure the oxygen deprivation was getting to him fast because the next second Derek _roared_ and jumped across the entire fifteen foot gap in one leap, tackling Jordan and the man holding him onto the hard ground. 

The impact broke the hold on Jordan’s throat and he rolled out from between the two men, choking and coughing as he was grabbed under the arms by Stiles and Scott and pulled away. Stiles pulled him to his feet and held him up while Scott turned and leapt into the fight. Jordan caught his breath and looked up just in time to see Scott go flying past them and landing in a dumpster in the mouth of the alley.

The man with the glowing eyes got to his feet and Jordan watched in horror as he threw Derek down the alley. “Derek!” Jordan cried, breaking away from Stiles to rush after the man who stalked down the alley after Derek. Jordan stumbled to a stop as he caught sight of the man wrapping the cord around Derek’s throat and pulled him back, Derek on his knees in front of the man while he strangled him.

Jordan didn’t hesitate to drop down and pull his gun out of his boot. He came up and raised his hand to fire, but realized he couldn’t pull the trigger because of whatever was broken in his wrist. He swapped hands, knowing he was taking a risk shooting with the wrong hand, but he could see Derek’s hands scrabbling at the cord around his throat and he didn’t hesitate. “Hey asshole!” he shouted and the man looked up just as Jordan pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit its target. The man fell back and Derek fell forward, inhaling greedily as he fell on his hands and knees. Jordan ran that way and bypassed Derek to push the now-dead man over onto his front. He didn’t have his cuffs on him, but he yanked off his belt and tied the guy’s wrist as best as he could with that. 

When he was done he turned back to go to Derek, but when Derek looked up, Jordan was shocked to see Derek’s eyes glowing unnaturally blue in the darkness and his hands were _clawed_. However, Derek was also still holding his throat and trying to breathe, so Jordan got over his momentary panic and knelt beside him, pulling the limp cord off of his shoulder to drop behind him. “Just breathe, Derek,” he said, and Derek shrank back some, looking at Jordan almost fearfully as he pressed a hand to Derek’s chest, feeling for his inhales and exhales to be sure he was actually able to get oxygen to his lungs.

(A small part of Jordan found it hilarious that Derek was the one with _claws_ but he seemed afraid of Jordan)

“Holy SHIT you SHOT the linduk!” Jordan looked up as Stiles, Scott, and the girl with the sword all came running to them. The girl pulled out her sword and poked the body, then shrugged. “Seems dead,” she said and Stiles went around to look closer.

“Be careful with that sword, kid,” Jordan called warningly and she looked at it then shrugged and put it into something on her back. 

Scott stopped beside Derek and Jordan watched as he looked between Jordan and Derek, whose eyes were just now fading and whose claws were still out. “Um… I- I know this looks weird-“

Jordan rolled his eyes. “I just got attacked by and then shot a guy whose eyes glowed yellow. I’m beyond weird,” he said, then looked back to Derek. “Derek, are you okay now? Can you breathe okay?” he asked, rubbing gently at Derek’s chest.

Derek nodded, coughing weakly. “Jordan I- What you saw-“

Jordan shook his head, shushing Derek. “Don’t talk,” he said, sliding his hand up to gently touch the angry purple mark on Derek’s throat. “Whatever the hell you are, please tell me you’ll heal from that,” he said, and he smiled when Derek looked at him like he was insane. Jordan shrugged. “Yellow glowey eyed man tried to kill me, not you with your glowey blue ones, Derek. Claws or not, you’re still Derek.”

Derek managed a small smile and shook his head. “You’re nuts,” he said in a hoarse tone, then looked at the gun resting beside Jordan’s knee. “Why do you have that?” he asked and Jordan grimaced, looking down.

“Derek… I’m-“

“Um, Parrish, my dad’s coming,” Stiles interrupted, holding his phone against his shoulder as his eyes flickered between Derek and Jordan. “He said you had quit the case a week ago so I doubt he’ll be too happy with you.”

Derek gave him a look, eyebrow raised in a demanding manner. Jordan cringed and smiled at the same time. “Um, yeah. Deputy Jordan Parrish, Beacon County Sheriff’s Department.” He coughed awkwardly. “Not exactly a seventeen year old prostitute-“

“HA!” Stiles barked out a laugh. “You were under cover as one of the victims?! Oh God, Dad didn’t tell me what you guys were doing to try and find the linduk! I mean he didn’t know it was a linduk, we thought it was a random serial killer, but he took everybody off the case when we figured out it wasn’t a human – you’ve realized there’s creepy supernatural things going on by now, right? Right. – and we’ve been hunting the linduk.” He cackled some. “That explains the clothes! Tight, ratty jeans, leather ‘bad boy’ jacket-“

“Hey, that’s my jacket, Stiles,” Derek snapped, only to flush when Stiles smirked at him alarmingly and the girl and Scott both stepped up beside Stiles and gave Derek questioning and disappointed looks respectively.

“Derek,” Scott said in a serious tone. “Derek, please tell me you weren’t making terrible decisions with your love life again and sleeping a seventeen year old prostitute.”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Derek, I swear, you really need to learn how to adult.”

Derek huffed and got to his feet, rolling his eyes. “I would not sleep with a _teenager_ okay?! We were friends. I tried to get him off this block when we started looking for the linduk, then he didn’t go and we became friends while I was checking up on him,” he defended.

Stiles smirked. “A friend that you gave your favorite jacket to? Are you gonna give him your fraternity letters next?”

Jordan glanced at Derek, who was blushing some, and he rolled his eyes. “Thanks for saving me,” he said and Derek ducked his head.

“I’m the reason you were here. I- I wanted you to stay the night to keep you safe. I knew Scott was going after the linduk tonight and I wanted you to be safe.” He looked up and met Jordan’s eyes. “I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting hurt, Jordan. I’m so sorry I lied to you and sorry I ran you off.”

Jordan shook his head, stepping closer. “Derek, I ran off because I’ve been lying to you. I forgot a lot of the time that you thought I was seventeen and a prostitute. You know me. You know me better than most anybody else. So I’d forget I was pretending and tonight when you reminded me I felt like shit because of how I let you so close while hiding the truth.”

Derek shook his head. “I hid a lot too, Jordan.” He made his eyes flash bright blue. “Jordan, I’m a werewolf,” he said, clearly bracing himself for being called crazy.

Jordan’s head spun as certain things slotted into place, and he knew that later on, he’d take more time to freak out, but really, “I just got attacked by a weird ass glowey eyed lens-duck or whatever the fuck that guy was, I can handle ‘the guy I’m crazy about is a werewolf’ way better after that fact saved my ass,” he said bluntly.

“Awwww did you hear him! He’s crazy about Derek!” the girl cooed. “That’s adorable.”

Jordan blushed, ducking his head, and Derek glared over his shoulder. “Kira!” he complained, and Jordan heard snickering behind him. Derek reached out to grab Jordan’s hand as he turned to walk away and put some space between them and the nosey teens, but when he grabbed Jordan’s wrist, he grabbed the injured one.

“AH!” Jordan cried, gasping as he snatched his hand away, cradling it against his belly.

Derek turned back and quickly held up his hand. “What’d I do?” he asked worriedly, and Jordan just shook his head.

“He broke my wrist,” he gritted out, holding his hand up and pulling the sleeve back to show Derek how it was already bruising and swelling. “God that hurts.”

Derek gently brought his flat palm up from beneath so that Jordan’s hand rested on his. “Just let me. I won’t hurt you, I promise,” Derek said, gently lying his other hand on top of Jordan’s. Jordan hissed at the way it jarred the injure a little, but almost immediately the pain started to fade away. Jordan’s eyes widened as he watched black lines crawling up Derek’s hand and he looked up to see Derek’s brow furrowed in concentration.

“What’re you doing?” Jordan asked and Derek met his eyes.

“Just taking away the pain for a little while. So you don’t have to hurt.” He looked back down at the injured area. “I can’t fix it, but I can make it hurt less.” He carefully pulled his hands away, and the black lines stopped, but the pain was significantly dulled even without Derek touching him.

Jordan watched Derek fisting and flexing his hand and he frowned. “Derek, I wish you wouldn’t do that if it makes you hurt instead.”

Derek shook his head. “I heal fast, the pain fades fast. I hurt for a few seconds only.” He reached up to tip Jordan’s head down so he could look at the scrape on his forehead. “Want me to do that too?”

Jordan shook his head. “Nah, it’s not bad.” Derek nodded and Jordan bit his lip and then gave into the urge to step into Derek’s arms. He slid his arms around Derek’s middle and laid his head on Derek’s shoulder, relaxing into his body. He sighed happily when Derek’s arms came to settle around his back, holding him closer. He could see Stiles smirking at them, Scott making faces and Kira ‘awwww’ing dramatically, but he just closed his eyes and let Derek hold him for however long it took the Sheriff to get there.

He knew it wasn’t that simple, there were things he and Derek and to talk about and more that they had to deal with, but standing there, Derek’s arms around him and Derek’s lips pressed against his hair, Jordan in some ways just _knew_ that he and Derek made sense.

~

The sheriff, predictably, hadn’t been happy to see Jordan waiting with the others when he showed up with another man in tow. Jordan recognized the man as Chris Argent when he got closer. “Wow, lots of things are suddenly making sense,” Jordan muttered and Derek slid his hand into Jordan’s uninjured one, squeezing it supportively.

John crossed his arms when he stopped in front of Jordan. “Is this why you fell asleep twice at your desk this week?” he asked, and Jordan gave him an awkward smile.

“Um, I really, really wanted to catch whoever was killing kids?” he offered, and John raised an eyebrow. “What? I didn’t know it wasn’t a serial killer!” he defended.

John looked at Derek, then glanced down at their joined hands significantly. “Oh really?” he asked, and Jordan just stared at him blankly. John chuckled tiredly, rubbing at his eyes. “At least you’re not a mass murderer this time,” he said, and Derek’s jaw dropped in shock. John winced comically. “Oh crap, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that out loud,” he said and Derek opened and closed his mouth a few times before glaring over his shoulder at Scott and Stiles.

“Stiles!”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “What?! He’s my dad, where the hell do you think I get it from? I didn’t tell him your last two girlfriends were mass murderers, he’s a smart guy, he put it all together!” 

“Yeah, that wasn’t his fault,” John said, then glanced at his friend. “Sorry, Chris,” he added and Chris snorted, rolling his eyes as he turned and walked over to the body instead of replying.

Jordan raised an eyebrow at Derek, who avoided his eyes. “Sounds like a story for another time,” he said and Derek gave him a grateful smile. “Come on, I almost got killed by a weird glowey-eyed guy. I need some information,” he said, tugging Derek with him as he fell into step with John as they headed over to the body.

Kira looked up when they got there. “We didn’t think a bullet could stop it or we’d have tried that,” she said. Jordan was glad to finally have at least somewhat of an explanation for the sword on her back.

Scott smiled brightly. “Dude, Sheriff, it was awesome! Jordan shot it when it was strangling Derek!”

Jordan shuddered. “I had to shoot wrong-handed, I really got lucky I didn’t miss and hit Derek.” 

Derek shrugged. “I’d have healed,” he said and Jordan jerked up to stare at him in surprise. Derek ducked his head. “I’ve been shot more than a few times before,” he admitted and Jordan ruffled at the thought of someone shooting Derek.

“Okay, so what _is_ a lens-duck or whatever?” Jordan asked, looking around.

“It’s a sex-demon,” Stiles said, and Jordan raised an eyebrow. He shrugged. “Teenagers who have a lot of sex have some sort of energy that it feeds off of. It strangles them and like eats their soul or something.” He kicked the body. “This linduk liked boys only, I guess. And who has more sex than a prostitute?”

Jordan hummed. “Huh, maybe I should’ve actually been sleeping with the guys we arrested so the linduck would’ve come after me before he just got pissed at me interrupting him,” he mused and John glared at him. 

“Do you know how fired I would be if I let a deputy actually become a prostitute for a case?” he asked and Jordan smiled innocently.

“Way more fired than I’m gonna hopefully not be for doing this on my own?” he asked optimistically and John chuckled. 

“You know too much now. If I fired you, we’d probably have to kill you,” he joked and Jordan raised an eyebrow.

“Is that how you commonly take care of people finding out your secret Scooby Club activities? Wait, does this make me Cordelia?” he asked seriously, finally cracking a smile when Derek snorted in surprise, slapping a hand over his mouth to quiet his laughter. He saw nobody else had reacted other than John’s eye roll and he shrugged, smiling at Derek. “At least you think I’m amusing.”

Stiles raised an eyebrow at Derek. “You watched a show about a vampire hunter when you’re _actually_ a werewolf?” he asked skeptically and Derek rolled his eyes.

“No, I lived in a cave in the forest and chased rabbits for fun as a child.”

Jordan turned and pressed his smile into Derek’s shoulder to keep Stiles from seeing how amused he was. John looked around at them all then nodded towards the alley. “Alright, everybody else get going. Jordan and I will wait here and call it in. I had Jordan doing a secret undercover operation and he had to shoot our strangler in self-defense. Official story doesn’t involve teenagers.”

The kids all turned to leave, Chris leaving with them, and Derek hesitated only as long as it took for Jordan to promise to come see him the next day so they could talk.

~

When Jordan got off of work the next day, he went to Derek’s apartment straight away. Knocking on the door was disconcerting because he wasn’t sure how Derek would react to him or even how he might react to the reality that Derek was _really_ a werewolf. 

However, when the door opened before him, Jordan was pleasantly surprised by the warm feeling that filled him when he looked at Derek instead of the dread he’d feared he’d feel. Derek looked shockingly different in the daytime. The sunlight made him look less pale and his eyes looked so much warmer in natural light. “Hi,” Jordan said softly, smiling nervously.

Derek smiled back looking just as sheepish. “Um, hey.” He shuffled some in the doorway. “I wasn’t- I kinda worried you might change your mind.”

Jordan shook his head. “You’re still you, Derek.” He cringed. “I’m the one that- well, I lied. A lot.” He stepped back a little and smiled brightly. “Hi, I’m Jordan Parrish, I’m twenty-four, I served one tour in Iraq in the Army, and I’m currently a deputy of the Beacon County Sheriff’s Department. I’m not a teenager, I’m not a prostitute, and I’m sorry I lied to you about all those things, Derek, because even if I lied about those things, I never lied about how much I admire your big heart, your kindness, and how much time you put into getting to know me.” He smiled softly. “I really care about you, no matter what you are, because you’re Derek no matter what species you are.”

Derek ducked his head, but looked up with a sly smile, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorjamb. “Did you practice that speech?”

Jordan chuckled and shook his head. “Nope, decided to wing it. Thoughts?”

Derek nodded lightly. “I give it four and a half stars. Great effort.” He pursed his lips some as he looked into Jordan’s eyes. “You really still like me, even though I’m a werewolf?” he asked and Jordan nodded.

“I lied about way more than that, so I’d probably not have come if I thought there was no hope for starting over,” he admitted in a rush, blushing slightly as the words tumbled out.

Derek smiled a warm, teasing smile but didn’t speak. He looked Jordan over and grinned some as his eyes looked over the various emblems on his shirt. “I like your uniform. Definitely a nice look.”

“Yeah?” Jordan asked, looking down at himself. “I like what it does for my arms,” he commented, holding his arms out to look at the way the sleeves accentuated his muscles.

Derek nodded seriously. “The uniform definitely compliments your arms.”

Jordan looked up with a sly smirk and stepped into Derek’s space. “It would _really_ compliment your floor,” he said in a playful tone, glancing down at Derek’s mouth.

Derek’s ears turned red and he ducked his eyes. “My floor, huh?”

Jordan was cut off from replying by a voice from behind Derek. “Whoa, ew, no!” Jordan’s head snapped up and he flushed when he realized he knew that voice. Derek slapped a hand over his face, then looked up and glanced back, glaring and reaching for the door, only to have it pulled all the way open before he could grab it. Stiles shot Jordan a look. “Look, we’re all happy Derek has attracted someone that isn’t a psycho killer for once, but we literally never needed to hear that, Parrish,” he said, and Scott nodded from behind Stiles, eyes wide in horror.

Kira just giggled some and shoved Stiles. “Oh whatever, you’d find it funny if it was anybody but Derek,” she said, then put a hand on each boys back and pushed them both out the door so they stumbled past Jordan. She winked on the way past. “Having seen Derek shirtless, I don’t at all blame you,” she said and Derek groaned audibly, hand still over his face as he turned and banged his head lightly against the doorjamb while Jordan watched the teens all leave.

When Jordan turned back, Derek looked up, bright red and Jordan snickered at his face. “Shut it,” Derek grumbled, grabbing Jordan’s shirt to pull him into the apartment. 

Jordan just looped his arms around Derek’s neck and pulled him with him as he stumbled down the steps into the apartment. “You’re welcome to make me shut it,” he teased and Derek just huffed grumpily but leaned down and kissed him anyways.

Jordan knew they had a lot to talk about still, about how much of Derek’s stories were true and how much he wanted Jordan to explain for him, but for the time being, he was more than okay with waiting to talk later. Hopefully there’d be plenty of time for him and Derek to get to know each other again.


End file.
